Audiobookshelf Hosting Live In 5 Minutes

Audiobookshelf hosting on xCloud gives you a self-hosted audiobook server on your own domain. Deploy Audiobookshelf in one click and xCloud brings up the pinned image with its built-in SQLite database, four persistent volumes for configuration, metadata, audiobooks and podcasts, and HTTPS. Create the first account, add a library and upload your own audio files to stream to every user and device.

Deploy your Audiobookshelf

No terminal
No technical skills needed
No lock-in, cancel anytime

What is Audiobookshelf?

Self-hosted Audiobookshelf is a self-hosted audiobook and podcast server. It streams all audio formats on the fly, keeps progress per user and syncs it across devices, supports multiple users with custom permissions, and fetches metadata and cover art from several sources. It sells no content and runs no store, so you supply your own audiobook files and podcast feeds. Audiobookshelf is licensed under GPL-3.0.

On xCloud the template runs ghcr.io/advplyr/audiobookshelf 2.36.0, pinned by immutable digest, with its built-in SQLite database, proxied by xCloud's nginx and served over HTTPS on your domain. Four named volumes hold configuration, metadata, audiobooks and podcasts. No credentials are generated: the first account you create becomes the root administrator. Browser uploads are capped at 100 MB per file on this platform, and hardware transcoding is not enabled.

From Sign-Up to a Live Audiobookshelf In Just 3 Easy Steps

Self-hosting Audiobookshelf normally means containers, a database, a domain and a certificate before anything works. This is the same result without assembling any of it.

Step 01
Sign Up
Create your xCloud account and pick Audiobookshelf from the OneClick catalog. Takes 30 seconds — no server to prepare.
Step 02
We Deploy It For You
One click. We bring up Audiobookshelf 2.36.0, pinned by immutable digest, with its built-in SQLite database, mount the config, metadata, audiobooks and podcasts volumes and publish it over HTTPS on your domain.
Step 03
Start Using It
Open your HTTPS URL and create the first account, which becomes the root administrator. Add a library rooted at /audiobooks or /podcasts, then use the Upload page to add your own audio files.

Everything Audiobookshelf Does, On Your Own Server

Audiobookshelf runs here from its pinned image, with libraries, progress and media on volumes you control.

Multi-User Libraries
Create an account per listener and set custom permissions, so a household or team shares one audiobook and podcast library with separate progress.
Synced Listening Progress
Progress is kept per user and syncs across devices, so you resume a book on the phone where you stopped in the browser.
Podcast Search And Download
Search for podcasts and add them to a podcast library, then download episodes with auto-download into the audiobookshelf_podcasts volume.
Bulk Browser Uploads
Drag and drop files or folders onto the Upload page. This platform caps a browser upload at 100 MB per file, so larger audiobooks need another route.
Metadata And Cover Art
Audiobookshelf fetches metadata and cover art from several sources, and its chapter editor can look up chapters for a book.
Open-Source Mobile Apps
Upstream publishes Android and iOS apps that are open source and still labelled beta, alongside a Progressive Web App.

Everything You Need To Run Your Service 24/7

Managed hosting for Audiobookshelf, so the parts that keep it online are not your problem.

Audiobookshelf deployed instantly
Image pinned by immutable digest
Four persistent media and config volumes
Free SSL certificate
Server backups and snapshots
Server security updates included
30+ server locations
Unused balance refunded

What You Can Do With Audiobookshelf

Stream your audiobook library anywhere
Load the audiobooks you already own into one library on your own domain and stream them in the browser or a phone app, in whatever audio format the files use.
Share one library with the household
Give each family member or teammate an account with custom permissions. Everyone listens from the same collection while the server keeps progress separately for each person.
Resume listening on any device
Listening progress is stored per user and synced across devices, so a commute on the phone and an evening session in the browser continue from the same position.
Follow podcasts with auto-download
Search for a podcast, add it to a podcast library and let Audiobookshelf download new episodes automatically, so they are on your own server when you want to listen.

Audiobookshelf vs Alternatives

Audible: Compared with Audible, Audiobookshelf sells no content: it serves the audiobook files you load into your own libraries and fetches metadata and cover art from several sources.
Apple Podcasts: Compared with Apple Podcasts, in Audiobookshelf you search for and add podcasts to a library on your own server, download episodes automatically, and keep each user's progress there.
Plex: Compared with Plex, Audiobookshelf is built specifically for audiobooks and podcasts, with a chapter editor, merging audio files into a single m4b, and per-user progress that syncs across devices.
Jellyfin: Compared with Jellyfin, also on xCloud, Audiobookshelf focuses on audiobook and podcast libraries, with multi-user permissions and progress tracking per listener.

Ready To Own Your Setup?

Audiobookshelf on xCloud runs on a dedicated Cloud VPS that we provision, patch, monitor and restore. Deploy faster. Own your data. Stay in control.

Fast Provisioning
Deploy faster using an xCloud Managed Server built with optimized stacks and high-speed SSDs.
Enterprise-grade security
Protect your infrastructure with a free SSL certificate and more advanced security features at no additional cost.
Intuitive Control Panel
From Server creation to application deployment, everything can be managed from our intuitive control panel.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have.

Is Audiobookshelf free?

Yes. Audiobookshelf is open source under the GPL-3.0 licence and sells no audiobooks or podcasts, so you bring your own files. The xCloud bill covers the Cloud VPS that stores your media, billed monthly with no lock-in.

How do I self-host Audiobookshelf with Docker?

This template does it for you. Audiobookshelf Docker hosting here means the upstream image pinned by immutable digest, four named volumes, its built-in SQLite database and HTTPS on your domain, with no compose file, port mapping or reverse proxy to write yourself.

Does Audiobookshelf have a mobile app?

Yes. Upstream publishes Android and iOS apps that are open source and labelled beta, with the Android app on Google Play. Audiobookshelf's web interface also works as a Progressive Web App, and you point either one at the HTTPS address of your own server.

How do I add audiobooks to Audiobookshelf?

Create a library rooted at /audiobooks, then drag files or folders onto the Upload page. This platform caps browser uploads at 100 MB per file, so larger audiobooks may fail through the browser. Folder names affect metadata matching, so follow upstream's library guidance.

How do I update Audiobookshelf?

Release 2.36.0 stays pinned at install and a catalog re-sync only reaches new installations, so xCloud does not upgrade it for you. Back up all four volumes, review upstream release notes and migrations, change the image deliberately, then verify login, progress, uploads and scanning.

How much RAM does Audiobookshelf need?

Its manifest requires 1024 MB of RAM, one CPU core and 10 GB of disk. Audiobookshelf cloud hosting on xCloud starts at the 6 GB tier. Disk is the real constraint: media libraries commonly need much more space, so size the server for your collection and its growth.

Does Audiobookshelf sync progress between devices?

Yes. Upstream keeps listening progress per user and syncs it across devices, with the progress stored in the SQLite state on the audiobookshelf_config volume. Each person signs in with their own account, so one user's position never overwrites another's.

Is Audiobookshelf better than Plex for audiobooks?

It depends on the library. Audiobookshelf is built only for audiobooks and podcasts, with per-user progress, a chapter editor, m4b merging and metadata lookups. Audiobookshelf is not a content service, so you must supply your own files, which it streams on the fly to the browser or the beta mobile apps.

Where does Audiobookshelf store its database?

In a built-in SQLite database inside the audiobookshelf_config volume, alongside users, libraries and playback progress. Take a backup of all four volumes together: config, metadata, audiobooks and podcasts. Stop the container or use the app's backup feature first, and test a restore.

Backups in xCloud

Is Audiobookshelf on xCloud run by the Audiobookshelf project?

No. xCloud runs the server and deploys the upstream ghcr.io/advplyr/audiobookshelf image; the Audiobookshelf project is independent, and questions about library naming, scanning and the mobile apps belong with Audiobookshelf's own documentation and community. This template pins release 2.36.0 by immutable digest.

Can I cancel anytime?

Yes. There is no lock-in — cancel any time. Hosting is billed monthly and charged for what you actually use, so when you delete the server the unused balance is refunded to your account, less up to 10% in payment-processing fees.